10 Questions With… Naval Architect Javier Jaudenes
With extensive experience in the building and retrofitting of motor and sail boats, naval architect Javier Jaudenes founded
Surge Projects
in 2012, where he has gone on to design racing boats, series production cruising sailing boats, and optimized yachts. Based on the island of Mallorca, he believes in a fully integrated product developed by a commited and responsible team that works to exceed client expectations. Judging by the industry accolades granted the Jaudenes’s design for WinWin, a super yacht produced by
Baltic Yachts
with interiors by Mark Tucker of
DesignUnlimited
, he is succeeding. WinWin came in first in the 2015 St. Barths Bucket race and also earned the title of Best Boat of the Year 2015 for boats under 40 meters in the World Super Yacht Design Awards. Here, Jaudenes tells us why it pays to be a sailor and some of the secrets behind WinWin’s extremely light construction.
Interior Design: You met the WinWin owner by chance when you won the Palma Regatta with him, spontaneously, four years ago?
Javier Jaudenese: Yes, that’s right. I am a very enthusatic sailor, too, and I was his main trimmer. After winning the Palma Regatta with him, I started sailing with him a bit and about a year later, after I founded
Surge Projects
in 2012, I showed him some of my work, for example a proposal I made for an other owner. And then he decided to go for a new boat.
ID: What a success story!
JJ: Yes. But the project required a lot of intelligent work, teamwork and holsitic design, too. I suggested a very close collaboration between the client and an interdisciplinary, commited team—and we did this for almost six months, before going to a shipyard. The yacht was on time, under weight, and required almost no corrections.
ID: The owner had high expectations. Did he tell you to develop a yacht that would be different from others?
JJ: Yes. He wrote a paper about his wishes for this new boat and he did a little competiton for the design. And yes, he is a very experienced sailor and, I would say, demanding.
ID: What is special about the yacht, in terms of naval architecture?
JJ: WinWin looks very good, with slim, clean lines and she is very good at cruising and fast in regattas.
ID: She has the best underwater acoustics ever signed for. Did you use different materials for this?
JJ: No, we used cork and other materials used for insulation. But, yes, the construction was so light that we could put in extra insulation, around 13,000 pounds, and we had a very experienced acoustic consultant.
ID: What else is special about the yacht?
JJ: For example, she has probably the biggest bedroom suite that you can reach on a 108 foot yacht, with a very good insulation and windows, to see the mast and the ocean. A very nice and silent space. All in all, she has a superlight and modern interior.
ID: WinWin significantly raised your profile in the world of superyacht naval architecture. How has this changed your life and work?
JJ: First of all, it was a lot of work to bring WinWin alive. It took all of my time to make this yacht as good as possible. And the success brought me into the first circle of yacht architects and designers. From here, there will be some more work to do to succeed in this strong competitive field.
EK: Did you expand your office, after winning awards?
JJ: No, I still have my studio integrated within my living area, just as I had before!
EK: How did the
Mallorquines
respond to your success?
JJ: Oh, very well, and I got lots of congratulations from colleagues here and I gave lots of interviews.
EK: Did clients call you for more superyachts after you won the awards?
JJ: Not yet, but I am working with a Spanish collaborator on a 150 foot yacht with a very special philosophy, currently without owner. I recently did a presentation about it at a yacht club in
Palma de Mallorca.
